Vacuum cleaner with movable handle structure

ABSTRACT

A vacuum cleaner having a handle movably carried on the body for selectively arranging the vacuum cleaner as a floor carried, upright vacuum cleaner, or a portable hand-carried vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner includes a removable dirt box which underlies the handle when the vacuum cleaner is arranged as a portable hand-carried unit.

United States Patent 1 Nupp et al.

[111 3,758,914 Sept. 18,1973

[5 1 VACUUM CLEANER WITH MOVABLE HANDLE STRUCTURE H 75 Inventors: DonaldL. Nupp, St. Joseph, Mich;

James R. Hilmanowski, St. Paul, Minn.

[73} Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, Mich.

[22] Filed: Oct. 6, 1971 [211 App]. No.: 186,982

[52] U.S. Cl 15/329, 15/344, 15/410 [51] Int. Cl A471 5/24 [58] Field ofSearch 15/329, 344, 410;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,642,616 6/1953 Browne15/329 X Nerheim l5/344 X Fisker l5/344 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS398,849 7/1924 Germany 15/410 Primary Examiner-John PetrakesAttorney-James S. Nettleton et a1.

[5 7 ABSTRACT A vacuum cleaner having a handle movably carried on thebody for selectively arranging the vacuum cleaner as a floor carried,upright vacuum cleaner, or a portable hand-carried vacuum cleaner. Thevacuum cleaner includes a removable dirt box which underlies the handlewhen the vacuum cleaner is arranged as a portable hand-carried unit.

13 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1 VACUUM CLEANER WITH MOVABLE HANDLESTRUCTURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Thisinvention relates to vacuum cleaners and in particular to vacuumcleaners provided with a handle for manipulation of the vacuum cleanerin a cleaning operation.

2. Description of the Prior Art The conventional upright vacuum cleaneris provided with a handle extending upwardly from the body of the unitfor manipulation by the user in moving the vacuum cleaner along thefloor to be cleaned, the lower end of the vacuum cleaner beingconventionally provided with roller mounted nozzle means. Recently,small portable vacuum cleaners adapted to be hand carried have beendeveloped such as for use in cleaning furniture, draperies, etc. Anumber of different forms of such vacuum cleaners have been developedwherein different handle structures are provided for use in convertingthe unit from one to the other of such floor type and hand held typeunits. Illustrative of such vacuum cleaner structures are the structuresshown in US Pat. Nos. to Kirby 1,156,235; Riebel, Jr. 1,884,871; andFoss 2,219,810 and 2,230,077.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprehends an improvedvacuum cleaner structure arranged to selectively define a floor carriedupright vacuum cleaner unit or a hand carried portable vacuum cleanerunit as desired. The vacuum cleaner structure of the present inventionis extremely simple and economical of construction while providing thishighly desirable functional feature.

More specifically, the invention comprehends providing a vacuum cleanerhaving a body, nozzle means, and air flow means, and means forselectively converting the vacuum cleaner from a floor operated vacuumcleaner to a hand held vacuum cleaner including a handle, and meansmovably connecting the handle to the vacuum cleaner body for selectivepositioning in a first disposition adjacent the body for manipulatingthe vacuum cleaner in a hand carried operation and in a seconddisposition extending away from the body for manipulating the vacuumcleaner in an upright floor carried operation.

The invention further comprehends providing in such a vacuum cleaner, adirt box which is removably carried by the body subjacent the movablehandle when the handle is arranged in the first disposition to definethe hand carried unit. The dirt box may be provided with a separatehandle for facilitated manipulation thereof independently of the othervacuum cleaner structure. Removal of the dirt box is permitted bymovement of the main handle from the overlying relationship herewithwhen desired.

The vacuum cleaner handle may be pivotally mounted on the body and meansmay be provided for limiting the pivotal movement to the desiredpreselected dispositions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other features and advantages of theinvention will be apparent from the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a vacuum cleaner structure embodying theinvention arranged as a portable hand carried vacuum cleaner;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a vacuum cleaner structure embodying theinvention arranged as a floor mounted upright vacuum cleaner;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section illustrating the removal of the dirtbox.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the exemplary embodiment ofthe invention as disclosed in the drawing, a vacuum cleaner generallydesignated 10 is shown to comprise a body 11 provided at one end with anozzle 12 and having movably carried thereon a handle 13 for use inmanipulating the vacuum cleaner in the vacuum cleaning operation. Thehandle is movably connected to the body 11 by a connector 14 so as to beselectively disposed in a first, retracted disposition, as shown in FIG.1, wherein the vacuum cleaner defines a portable hand carried vacuumcleaner, or in a second, extended disposition wherein the handle isarranged for manipulation by the user with the vacuum cleaner operatingas a conventional upright floor carried vacuum cleaner, as shown in FIG.2.

Nozzle 12 may comprise a conventional nozzle having wheels 15 formovably supporting the vacuum cleaner on a subjacent floor surface. Thenozzle may further be provided with a conventional rotating brush 16 forfacilitating dirt and the like in the vacuum cleaning operation.

Dirt is picked up by the nozzle through a suction inlet 17, air beingdrawn through the suction inlet through a duct 18 provided in body 11,by means of a fan 19 driven by a suitable electric motor 20. The motormay further drive a mechanism 21 for rotating brush 16, as shown in FIG.3.

Air is delivered from duct 18 to fan 19 to a dirt box 22 wherein thedirt entrained in the air is deposited, permitting the filtered air tobe expelled from the vacuum cleaner back to the ambient atmosphere bythe fan 19. Dirt box 22 is separable from body 11, as shown in FIG. 4,for facilitated disposition of the collected dirt. The dirt box includesa housing portion 23 provided with an upper handle 24 for facilitatingthe removal and installation of the dirt box in a suitable cradle 25provided in the body 11. Duct 18 is provided at its distal end with aconnector 26 which is adapted o align with an opening 27 in one end ofthe dirt box 22 when the dirt box is installed in cradle 25, as shown inFIG. 3. The opposite end 28 of the dirt box is made pervious to air flowpermitting the fan 19 to draw the air through the dirt box and dischargeit through suitable openings 29 provided in the body after the air flowsover the fan motor 20 to cool the fan. As shown in FIG. 3, the dirt boxhas a snug fit in the cradle 25 to provide a substantially airtightconnection between duct connector 26 and the fan 19.

As shown in FIG. 1, the handle 24 of the dirt box 22 is disposedsubjacent handle 13 when the handle 13 is disposed in the first,retracted position wherein the vacuum cleaner is arranged to define ahand held portable vacuum cleaner. The handle 13 is connected to body 11by an upstanding support 30 at the rear end of body 11 so as to spacethe handle 13 superjacent the handle 24 of the dirt box. The distal endof handle 13 may comprise a grasping member 31 which, as shown in FIG.1, is adapted to abut a surface portion 32 of the body 11 in theretracted disposition of the handle thereby to provide a stable handlecarrying means for the vacuum cleaner when thus arranged as a portablehand held cleaner. The body may be provided with a latching element 33for positively releasably retaining the handle in the retracteddisposition.

Connector 14 herein comprises a pivotal connector adapted to mount theend 34 of handle 13 for pivotal movement about an axis 35 perpendicularto the longitudinal extend of handle 13. Thus, the handle is swingableon pivot 14 from the retracted position of FIG. 1 to the extendedposition of FIG. 2 wherein the grasping member 31 is outermost andspaced substantially from body 11 to provide for facilitated use of thevacuum cleaner as a floor carried upright unit. In such use, the nozzle12 of the vacuum cleaner is disposed to ride on the subjacent floorsurface to pick up dirt, etc. from the floor surface, in the normalupright vacuum cleaning operation.

Control of the operation of motor may be by means of an electricalswitch 36 carried on handle 13 adjacent grasping portion 31 and wires 37may be brought to switch 37 between the pivotally connected end 34 ofthe handle and body 11, as shown in FIG. 3. A mechanical stop 38 may beprovided on body 11 for limiting the pivotal movement of the handle tono more than approximately 180 from the retracted position of FIG. 1 toautomatically dispose the handle 13 in the extended position of FIG. 2and effectively preclude overtwisting of the wires 37 at the extensionthereof between handle 13 and body support 30.

When it is desired to remove dirt box 22, the user merely swings handle13 to the extended disposition, clearing the space overlying the dirtbox in cradle 25. The connector 26 may then be unthreaded through bodyportion 39 to the retracted disposition of FIG. 4, permitting the dirtbox to be lifted out of the cradle for suitable maintenance andreplacement in the eradle. Connector 26 is then threaded back intoengagement with the dirt box as discussed above.

The invention has been illustrated in connection with the use of anozzle l2. Other suitable nozzles may be attached to the lower end ofduct 18 as is conventional in the vacuum cleaner art. Thus, for example,in using the vacuum cleaner as a portable unit for cleaning draperiesand the like, a suitable modified form of nozzle (not shown) may beutilized as desired.

The ability of handle 13 to be disposed selectively in the retractedposition further permits facilitated storage of the vacuum cleaner byreducing the overall length to substantially one-half the extendedlength, as the handle 13 may have a length substantially equal to thelength of body 11.

The vacuum cleaner construction is extremelysimple and economical, thevarious elements of the vacuum cleaner construction being readily formedas of molded plastic providing further facility in the use of the vacuumcleaner in having relatively light weight. The disposition of fan motor19,20 substantially at the center of body 1 1 provides for facilitatedbalancing of the vacuum cleaner in the hand held arrangement whileeffectively providing a relatively low center of gravity of the vacuumcleaner in the extended arrangement.

The foregoing disclosure of specific embodiments is illustrative of thebroad inventive concepts comprehended by the invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a vacuum cleaner having a body, nozzle means at one end of thebody, and means for effecting suction of air through said nozzle,structure comprising: a dirt box removably carried by said body forreceiving air from said nozzle and arranged to remove and collect dirtfrom the air; and a handle movably mounted on said body for selectiveretracted disposition overlying said dirt box for manipulating thevacuum cleaner and preventing removal of the dirt box from the body in ahand carried vacuum cleaning operation, and extended disposition for usein manipulating the vacuum cleaner in an upright floor carried vacuumcleaning operation.

2. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 1 wherein said dirt boxincludes a handle for manipulation thereof independently of said bodyhandle, said dirt box handle being substantially smaller than said bodyhandle.

3. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 1 wherein said handle ispivotally connected to said body.

4; The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 1 further including means forlimiting the movement of said handle on said body to preselectedpositions corresponding to said retracted and extended dispositions.

5. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 1 wherein said suction meansincludes an electric motor and said movable handle carries wiring forcontrolling operation of said motor.

6. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 1 wherein said suction meansincludes an electric motor and said movable handle carries wiring forcontrolling operation of said motor, said structure further includingmeans for limiting the movement of said handle on said body topreselected positions corresponding to said retracted and extendeddispositions preventing excessive twisting of said wiring upon movementof said handle relative to said body.

7. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 1 wherein said suction means isdisposed between said nozzle and said dirt box and said body definesmeans for conducting air from said nozzle to said dirt box for flow fromthe dirt box to said suction means.

8. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 1 wherein said handle has alength substantially equal to the length of said body.

9. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 1 including an upstandingsupport on said body, said handle being pivotally mounted to saidsupport to be spaced from said body in said retracted disposition.

10. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 1 including an upstandingsupport on said body, said handle being pivotally mounted to saidsupport to be spaced from said body in said retracted disposition andmeans on said body engaged by the distal end of the handle when thehandle is in said retracted disposition.

11. In a vacuum cleaner having a body, nozzle means, and air flow means,means for selectively converting the vacuum cleaner from a flooroperated vacuum cleaner to a hand held vacuum cleaner comprising: handlemeans; and means movably connecting said handle to the vacuum cleanerbody for selective positioning in a first disposition adjacent said bodyfor manipulating the vacuum cleaner and preventing removal means.

13. The vacuum cleaner means of claim 11 wherein said connecting meanscomprises pivot mounting means and means for limiting the maximumpivotal movement of said handle about the pivot axis.

* t i t

1. In a vacuum cleaner having a body, nozzle means at one end of thebody, and means for effecting suction of air through said nozzle,structure comprising: a dirt box removably carried by said body forreceiving air from said nozzle and arranged to remove and collect dirtfrom the air; and a handle movably mounted on said body for selectiveretracted disposition overlying said dirt box for manipulating thevacuum cleaner and preventing removal of the dirt box from the body in ahand carried vacuum cleaning operation, and extended disposition for usein manipulating the vacuum cleaner in an upright floor carried vacuumcleaning operation.
 2. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 1 whereinsaid dirt box includes a handle for manipulation thereof independentlyof said body handle, said dirt box handle being substantially smallerthan said body handle.
 3. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 1wherein said handle is pivotally connected to said body.
 4. The vacuumcleaner structure of claim 1 further including means for limiting themovement of said handle on said body to preselected positionscorresponDing to said retracted and extended dispositions.
 5. The vacuumcleaner structure of claim 1 wherein said suction means includes anelectric motor and said movable handle carries wiring for controllingoperation of said motor.
 6. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 1wherein said suction means includes an electric motor and said movablehandle carries wiring for controlling operation of said motor, saidstructure further including means for limiting the movement of saidhandle on said body to preselected positions corresponding to saidretracted and extended dispositions preventing excessive twisting ofsaid wiring upon movement of said handle relative to said body.
 7. Thevacuum cleaner structure of claim 1 wherein said suction means isdisposed between said nozzle and said dirt box and said body definesmeans for conducting air from said nozzle to said dirt box for flow fromthe dirt box to said suction means.
 8. The vacuum cleaner structure ofclaim 1 wherein said handle has a length substantially equal to thelength of said body.
 9. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 1including an upstanding support on said body, said handle beingpivotally mounted to said support to be spaced from said body in saidretracted disposition.
 10. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 1including an upstanding support on said body, said handle beingpivotally mounted to said support to be spaced from said body in saidretracted disposition and means on said body engaged by the distal endof the handle when the handle is in said retracted disposition.
 11. In avacuum cleaner having a body, nozzle means, and air flow means, meansfor selectively converting the vacuum cleaner from a floor operatedvacuum cleaner to a hand held vacuum cleaner comprising: handle means;and means movably connecting said handle to the vacuum cleaner body forselective positioning in a first disposition adjacent said body formanipulating the vacuum cleaner and preventing removal of the dirt boxfrom the body in a hand carried operation, and in a second dispositionextending away from the body for manipulating the vacuum cleaner in anupright floor carried operation.
 12. The vacuum cleaner means of claim11 wherein said connecting means comprises pivot mounting means.
 13. Thevacuum cleaner means of claim 11 wherein said connecting means comprisespivot mounting means and means for limiting the maximum pivotal movementof said handle about the pivot axis.